Nopales

We have this really large cactus in the front of our house. It grows amazingly fast and every now and then, we have to lop off some of the cactus pads because they block the walkway and spike people as they walk by.

Instead of tossing these cactus pads (nopales), I like to eat them. I was never sure if they have much nutritional value, but it turns out they do. Check it out.

Anyway, last weekend my friend and I decided to peel them, despine them, and make a food creation. Scrubbing off the spines and removing the skin was pretty painless, but afterwards I found some good tips for peeling cactus here.

We made a cheesy pico type dipping sauce that turned out pretty excellent. I think it would also be good as a tortilla soup. Maybe I’ll try that next time.